Spring Waltz
by LovelyJB
Summary: Sharpay returns from Paris, and Troy learns the reasons are more than she lets on. Eventually, he finds out for himself the hidden heartaches of her life, and it touches his heart. Their platonic love grows into romance, but he also loves another.
1. Paris Holds The Key

**Third installment to the Endless Love series: Spring!**

**Oh, there's going to be some delicious drama in this one, but there's not going to be alot of new characters, or old characters either. I know this first chapter is really short and probably crap, but I swear to you things are really going to get interesting.**

**The main theme for this story is mainly morality, guilt, remorse and fate, of course. :) For the full summaries, see my profile.**

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_"Bon après-midi, passagers. C'est votre parler de capitaine. Nous débarquerons dans l'aéroport d'Albuquerque en exactement 15 minutes. Veuillez prendre votre siège et attachez vos ceintures de sécurité comme nous nous préparons au débarquement."_

Sharpay's eyes snapped open at the announcement. She yawned and stretched, leaning back on her seat in First Class. She felt the pressure in her ears as the plane flew down lower and lower. She glanced out the window at the dawn sky, feeling the warmth of Spring beam down at her through the rays.

It had been a long time since she'd been home. She had been studying in Paris the past five years, not having contact with anybody from home in that period of time. It felt strange to be coming back, because she knew things would've changed in such a while.

Sharpay, like any rich aristocratic kid in America, was shipped off to a fancy boarding school in Europe where she was to be given the best education there could be, even though she knew it would be utterly useless after she graduated to become a carefree heiress. She had always been spoiled with riches and fortunes, but that meant in exchange she had to give up any chances of a normal life. Her parents were rarely around, and it was usually just her and her twin brother Ryan. Any kid who saw this from their perspective would argue that she was a girl whose happiness couldn't be bought with money, but Sharpay had become so used to her life, she didn't even care. What she did care about was living in a foreign country and leaving all her friends behind. She was uncomfortable for many years, but learned that she had to eventually accept the terms of coming from a rich family.

However, despite not liking the idea, Sharpay found Paris to be interesting in many ways, and she was quite happy to learn a few things there.

Among those that she loved, Sharpay was now able to speak fluent French, and she learned that it would be useful in many other countries beside France. She also learned how to sculpt, paint, play the piano and violin perfectly, and dance. It was required for her to take up these things for her image, as well as a few other unlikable subjects, but Sharpay managed to live through it. She made new friends, and eventually forget her old ones, and by doing so she seemed to fear ever going back to face them. She never intended to ever leave Paris at all, but certain events had changed her mind, and because of them, Sharpay felt she had no choice but to go back.

The trip back to Albuquerque was quite hurried, and she had accepted any offer to get there. She was nervous, though, especially because she had no family members available to pick her up at the airport. The only people who hadn't left Albuquerque for work were a few friends from high school, and even they were surprised when Sharpay gave them such a last-minute notice. They were to be waiting at the airport for her, and Sharpay braced herself for when she saw them again in so long.

The plane shook violently, and Sharpay quickly buckled up her seat belt. The captain again gave an announcement in rapid French, telling the flight attendants to take a seat just a few moments before Sharpay felt her ears pop. The plane gracefully dove down to the runaway and landed with great effort. Sharpay could see the gleaming sun outside the plane, and she felt a rush of relief. As the plane halted entirely, the French passengers erupted in applause. (**A.N. Seriously, the French always clap when the plane lands.**)

_"C'est maintenant de 22 degrés de Celsius sur la terre et il est maintenant 9:34 AM. C'est votre parler de capitaine._ _Nous souhaitons que vous ayez eu un vol agréable, et au revoir."_

The flight attendants stood up first and directed the passengers over to the exit, helping some with their various luggage cases. Sharpay managed to squeeze her way out first, having the convenience of being in First Class, and she stepped out of the aircraft, onto American land in more than five years.

It was Springtime now, Sharpay's first American Spring in more than five years. Even though she was inside, she could feel the warm atmosphere come in through the windows, the sound of songbirds and fresh breeze filled with blossoming flowers and honeysuckles. She could hardly wait to go outside.

While collecting her luggage, she was still quite curious at who she was going to see when she stepped out of the gates. She remembered herself being quite unpleasant to her classmates in high school, but she knew they all have always been very nice people, despite Sharpay's prejudice and biased view on them.

She remembered Troy, the only one she actually got along with among them. He had always been polite whenever she treated him like she did, but she had a feeling he was too scared of her to do anything otherwise. He was the one who picked up the phone and the one who agreed to be at the airport for her. Still, Sharpay could hazard a guess that there would be more than one person waiting for her there. She didn't know who; nearly all of their classmates had moved since graduation.

Making her way out the gates, she was surprised at how crowded the waiting room was. She looked around, slightly disorientated, pulling her baggage along. She felt a little lost in the mob, but she then saw two people approach her. They were several feet away, but Sharpay could clearly see who they were.

She could see that the young man was Troy, still with his sandy brown hair and warming smile. He seemed to have grown even taller than he had last time, and he looked like he had been working out. Troy waved at her and then notified his companion. Sharpay's smile disappeared when she realized who it was.

It was Gabriella. Dear Gabriella, still sweet as an angel. Sharpay never really liked Gabriella, and over the years, she wasn't even sure why she never liked her. Perhaps it was the fact that after Gabriella came to the school, Sharpay was pushed out of the limelight in Drama. They never got along well, but did so anyway for their friends' sakes. Sharpay remembered Gabriella had always put in an effort to warm up to her, but Sharpay never even bothered attempting. She just didn't like her.

Sharpay quickly dropped her eyes to the ground and acted like she couldn't see them.

"Sharpay!" she heard Troy call out. She turned around quickly and walked away, but their footsteps grew louder.

"Hey!" a shrill voice yelled. It was Gabriella now. "Wait up!" Sharpay took a deep breath and plastered on a smile as she turned around to them.

At once, Sharpay's dislike for Gabriella returned from the moment her auburn eyes locked onto the chocolate ones. She narrowed her eyes intimidatingly, but once she saw Troy, her expression softened.

"Hey, Troy!" she said, hugging him. "It's great to see you!" Troy chuckled and returned the hug as Gabriella watched, a little nervously. Sharpay pulled away and glared at Gabriella.

"I guess you two are still together, then," she muttered in a contempt voice. Gabriella cleared her throat.

"Well, yeah," she laughed. "We… we're still dating."

She had always thought the whole Basketball King and Freaky Math Girl relationship to be a totally Disney cheeseball romance, and she never thought it would last in the real world after high school. Sharpay had always thought Gabriella wasn't ever good enough for her friend, but since Troy seemed so happy with her at the time, Sharpay just played along.

Who knew. Sharpay gave Gabriella a stony non-smile.

"Mmm-hmm." She picked up her bags again, her smile again softening as she turned back to Troy. "So, how are you?" Troy, obviously noticing the tension, quickly grabbed one of her suitcases and led the girls toward the exit.

"Good," he replied perkily. "How's life in Paris?" Sharpay wrinkled her nose and shrugged.

"It's okay," she said, carelessly tossing her hair over her shoulder. "It's not as romantically stereotyped as you'd think, you know, not all red roses and champagne with violin and accordions and candlelit dinners for two." Troy laughed. "But I learned alot from staying there. The people are really polite and nice, oh, and the views are awesome too." She patted her bag. "I've got amazing photos." Troy smiled. He glanced over his shoulder.

"Where's Ryan?" he asked. "Shouldn't he be here with you?" Sharpay swallowed hard before answering.

The twins had both left for Paris together 5 years ago, and both of them went on to study. Troy had expected the twins to come home by each other's side, like they always did. It was strange seeing Sharpay by herself.

Sharpay had a very, very good reason to why Ryan wasn't with her, and he was also the reason she had come back to Albuquerque in the first place. However, even though she knew it was probably foolish not telling Troy the truth, Sharpay felt it to be too personal.

"Ryan… uh…" she stuttered. "… Ryan decided to stay in Paris. He… he said he found a girl there… and so…" She trailed off, hoping Troy wouldn't ask anymore of it. He didn't.

As Sharpay stepped out of the airport, the feel of Spring heightened. The birds, the fragrance of fresh flowers, the warmth of the sun. Sharpay smiled to herself, finally feeling alot happier than she had been in a long time.

"Where are you going to be staying?" Gabriella asked. Sharpay was about to snap at her again, but felt it wise not to. She _was _trying to be nice, might as well try it back.

"I don't really know yet," she said. "I was thinking of going back to my parents' old house." She paused, saddening a little. Gabriella gazed on sympathetically and knew better than to push her luck prying into Sharpay's private life. She smiled.

"You can stay with us if you like," Gabriella said brightly, looking over at Troy. "We've got an extra room in the house, and it's going to be really dusty soon if no one's going to sleep in it." Sharpay scoffed.

"In _your _house?" she said in a mocking voice. She made it sound like it was a dirty word. Gabriella's smile faded a little, looking hurt. Troy stopped by the sidewalk, turning around to the two women. He bit into his lip as the tension between them thickened.

"Well, if you haven't anywhere else to stay," Troy said matter-of-factly. "You're welcome to stay with us." Sharpay had a strong sense of pride, and even when she was in a crisis, refused to make herself seem pitiful. She wanted to be mean again, like she used to, but she had always felt a kind of gratitude towards Troy, so she relented.

"I'll let you know," she said with a brushing-off kind of tone. "But I'll be alright by myself. Really." Gabriella exchanged a confused look at Troy, who merely shrugged. He laid all the suitcases by the side and told Sharpay and Gabriella to wait for him as he went to get the car. Gabriella couldn't really make any more small talk with Sharpay, so she excused herself to the bathroom. Sharpay was finally left alone. She shuffled through her bag and pulled out a small notebook. She flicked through the pages, stopping at one with a folded corner, an address written in faded lead pencil just at the brim.

_54 Perkins Road, Green Valley_

She had come back for a reason, and she wasn't planning to tell anyone why. A bluebird and its mate chirped harmoniously, picking at the flowers by the tree nearby. Sharpay smiled as she watched. She sighed, looking away from the page and back up at the clear blue sky, singing a song she heard her friends in France, every time they needed to look on the bright side.

_Hold me close and hold me fast  
The magic spell you cast  
This is la vie en rose_

_When you kiss me heaven sighs  
And though I close my eyes  
I see la vie en rose_

_When you press me to your heart  
I'm in a world apart  
A world where roses bloom_

_And when you speak… angels sing from above  
Everyday words seem… to turn into love songs_

_Give your heart and soul to me  
And life will always be  
La vie en rose…_

Sharpay bit into her lip, shutting the book with a snap and slipping it back into the bag.

Suddenly, she let out a soft gasp as a shooting pain plunged into her chest. She clutched it tightly, taking deep breaths to try and calm herself down without making a scene. She glanced around; no one was looking at her and Troy and Gabriella were nowhere to be seen. Sharpay quickly took out a couple of medication pills and popped them into her mouth, exhaling deeply.

A white butterfly fluttered by, over to the blooming rose bush a few feet away. A cool fragrant breeze swept through the airport, distracting Sharpay.

The pain eased and she rubbed her chest. Right, back to business, and she put on her smile again, getting up as she saw Troy in the approaching car.

* * *

**Yes, Sharpay is a bit bitchy to Gabriella, but I had to make her that way after seeing bits of HSM2. :P**

**Next: Troy and Gabriella try to open up to Sharpay, but she again brushes them off. Troy is curious her peculiar behavior…**


	2. Spring Haze

**3 days until Year 12… better make the most of it.**

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Sharpay sat in the back seat quietly, just staring out the window, buckling slightly as the car drove off the smooth pavement of concrete onto the crusty gravel just a few yards away from the gates of Evans Mansion.

Sharpay pressed her fist against her cheek and sighed irritably, wishing the mansion wasn't so far down the road. She glanced, annoyed, at the driver and his passenger as they began singing along to the radio, and of all the songs to play it had to be "Wind Beneath My Wings".

"_I can fly higher than an eagle_," Troy sang, leaning over to Gabriella's side. "_For you are the wind beneath my wings…_" Gabriella giggled and sang along as well. Sharpay rolled her eyes and looked away in disgust. She began banging her head against the door as another horribly sappy love song played next.

Love sucks. Stupid lovesick teens who grew up to become stupid lovesick adults. It was so sweet and dripping with honey that it made Sharpay want to puke, especially when it was Troy and Gabriella. Sharpay seriously couldn't care less what they did, but at least could they rent a room?! Her eyes reverted to the window again, and she sighed softly.

Green everywhere. Singing birds drinking from a water fountain, bathing themselves happily and drying up so quickly with the warm rays of sunlight. Butterflies of all different colours and shapes hovered around the blooming flowers, while the bees and dragonflies buzzed happily near the water lilies and tulips.

Near the cherry blossom tree, the green, green grass beneath it was scattered with white and pink petals, it almost seemed like snow. Sharpay wound down the window and the breeze carried the fragrance of the flowers all mixed together right to her. Sharpay's expression relieved when she spotted the white gates to the mansion. Troy steered the car through the opening, pulling over just under the steps up towards the house. Sharpay immediately pushed the door open just a second after she heard the engine (and the radio, in that matter) switch off.

"Thank God," she sighed, flicking her blonde hair back. A warm breeze passed, the sweet scent of spring again lingering through the air. She slammed the door shut as the other two stepped out of the car. Sharpay smirked. "About time you two came out." Troy and Gabriella merely flushed a little. Troy began unloading Sharpay's luggage as Gabriella followed Sharpay to the door.

Very carefully, Sharpay took out the key and unlocked the door. She pushed it open, and it creaked loudly, making both the girls cringe a little.

"When was the last time this door was open?" Gabriella asked. Sharpay ignored her; she pushed the door all the way, then swinging it back and forth a few times. It continued to creak horribly. She stepped inside, the musky atmosphere threatening to suffocate her. Troy came up from behind them with the suitcases, equally bewildered at the state of the house.

"When was the last time anyone lived here?" Troy said incredulously. He glanced around. "Don't your parents still live here?" Sharpay was about to walk to the window and open up the dusty blind when Troy's question caught up with her. She froze for a moment, then laughed rather forcefully.

"No, of course my parents don't live here anymore," she said quickly, glancing over at him. "They… uh… they move to Amsterdam a few years ago and they kinda…" She looked back at the room with dismay. "…they kinda abandoned the house."

It had been a long time since Sharpay stepped into the Evans Mansion. Even when she was in high school, she would live in the _other _house. Evans Mansion was more of a display than a place to live. Only her parents would know, of course. Sharpay closed her eyes again and inhaled deeply. She smiled at Troy.

"Well," she said with a subject-changing tone. "My room's up there." Troy nodded in acknowledgment and heaved the suitcases over to the stairs, running out again to get the rest. Sharpay placed her shoulder bag down on the table. She stared blankly at it for almost a full minute, then she cautiously touched the table, running her finger on the surface in a straight line.

It was caked with dust. Sharpay hastily rubbed the black slimy dust off the best she could. _That's what you get from a house that's been abandoned for over five years._ She stared up at the lights; they were about 16 feet up and were blackened with cobwebs and more dust. She bet her life the light bulbs would explode if the switch was on.

A shriek made Sharpay jump. Troy came rushing in and the two turned their attention to Gabriella, who was in the kitchen.

"The water!" she cried, clearly horrified. "It's brown, and yellow and… and icky!!" Sharpay and Troy hurried into the kitchen as Gabriella started pointing at the sink. They immediately saw what she was going on about.

The water was indeed a nasty yellowish-brown, and it was gurgling out of the tap. Troy covered his mouth and turned a little green while Sharpay just stared at the water, or whatever it was, with a slightly sickened expression. She swallowed and smiled meekly.

"Well, I guess the plumbing must be out," she said, attempting to perk up the situation. She nervously preened her hair. "It's no biggie. I'll just get it fixed…" Troy and Gabriella gave her a look. Sharpay sighed, deflating. "… or not." Troy gathered all his courage and reached out to turn off the tap. Gabriella and Sharpay breathed a sigh of relief.

"You can't live here," Troy said frankly. He shook his head. "With no plumbing and… well, this house needs to be inspected and disinfected." He glanced up the stairs. "I think you might have a few bats or something up there." The girls looked alarmed. "Or maybe it was a stray cat with its… relatives." Troy heaved a sigh. "Look, the point is this house is in no way fit to live in." He picked up one of her suitcases. Sharpay frowned at him.

"Well, where else am I supposed to stay?" she asked, crossing her arms. "I can't stay at the other house. Someone else lives there now, and I don't want to stay in a hotel." Gabriella suddenly smiled again and she glanced at Troy, who had bent down after accidentally knocking the suitcases over.

"Sharpay can stay with us," she said optimistically. Sharpay just gave her a sort of stony look. Troy was caught off-guard as he set the suitcases back up.

"What?" he said, genuinely because he didn't hear her. Sharpay also said "What?" but in a different, much colder tone of voice. This didn't affect Gabriella at all. She beamed at her.

"Well, since you can't live here," she said sweetly. "The offer's still up, and that mattress is collecting dust as it is, anyway . I mean…" She grinned and glanced at Troy. "The house is brand new and all, so it'd be really nice to have a guest." She picked up a bag and looked hopefully back at Sharpay. "What do you say?" Sharpay continued to stare at her.

No doubt the poor girl was making an effort to be extra nice to her former-nemesis, even to the point of making Sharpay feel a little bad; the word 'sucker' was written all over Gabriella's forehead. She still cringed at the thought of being under the same roof as Troy and Gabriella at the same time, not knowing what they were… but it seemed there wasn't really anywhere else she could go now. Sharpay finally shifted her eyes onto something else. She shrugged.

"Well, if you insist," she said, looking carelessly over at Troy. He smiled, a little relieved.

"Yes, we insist," he said confidently. He picked up the rest of the luggage and dragged it all towards the door as the girls each grabbed a suitcase each, walking out together. Sharpay kept her gaze strictly ahead while Gabriella tried to engage her in a conversation.

"So, how long are you planning to stay in town for?" she asked. Sharpay didn't look at her.

"I don't know," she mumbled. "A few months, maybe." She glanced over at Gabriella without turning her head. "You _do _know I still don't like you, right?" Gabriella laughed, though quite nervously.

"Well… uh…" Gabriella looked away from the burning auburn eyes that threatened to zap her. She laughed again. "… we were just kids the last time we talked, you know, and we've both grown up a bit—"

"Five years," Sharpay said, rather icily. "Not really that long." They stopped at the car and she handed Troy the suitcase. Gabriella seemed uneasy as she got into the car, Troy noticed. He gave Sharpay a look as they went to their seats.

"Please try to be nice to her," he muttered, still giving her the look. "She's trying really hard to be nice." Sharpay rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she said curtly. "I'll be nice." She buckled up her seatbelt and crossed her arms in a sulk. She waited until Troy went back behind the wheel, lowering her voice so she was talking to herself. "_No one asked her to be nice, anyway…_"

It was childish of her to act this way. Really childish and immature, yet Sharpay couldn't help herself. Gabriella still seemed to annoy her by simply smiling. Her cheekbones would shine and make Sharpay cringe from the garishness. But Troy was right, and it was worth a try to be at least polite from now on, no matter how long that had to be.

The car started and it made it way out the gates away from Evans Mansion. Goodbye Evans Mansion… goodbye cherry blossom tree… goodbye green, green grass… goodbye songbirds and bees… goodbye yellow brick road…

Sharpay stared out the window as they drove past all that was springtime and back into the city where the fragrance of nature was drowned out by fumes of petrol. Sharpay wound her window back up.

* * *

Twenty minutes passed, and when they finally arrived somewhere, Sharpay realized it was Troy and Gabriella's house. She stared at it blankly as she stepped out of the car.

Plain, that was the only word that came to mind. It was about as big as a tennis court, at least from Sharpay's point of view, it didn't even have a garden or a garage. It was two storeys up, and the house was in perfect lining against the fence at the back. A little soap and water and maybe it'd look a little homier, but it was clearly the couple's very first home. Sharpay pursed her lips together so she wouldn't say anything rude and followed Gabriella into the house as Troy brought in the suitcases.

The door still kind of creaked when Gabriella opened it, but not as much as the mansion's. She stepped inside first and allowed Sharpay to come in. Sharpay was mildly surprised that inside it was alot more homey than the outside had let on.

"Your room's upstairs," Gabriella told her, pointing that way. "First to the right." Sharpay nodded mindlessly, still staring around. She plopped her handbag down on the sofa, sitting down beside it. Gabriella gathered up a few things and headed over to the kitchen, washing her hands as well as cleaning up a bit. Troy finally dragged the last of the suitcases inside, effectively closing the door for the last time with his foot.

"Home sweet home," he chuckled as he saw Sharpay sitting with her back to him. He glanced into the kitchen at Gabriella, then back. "If you're hungry, either Gabriella can cook you up something or we can go out to eat."

Sharpay didn't reply. She didn't move either.

"Sharpay?" Troy said, his smile fading. He set down all the luggage and approached her cautiously. "You okay?"

Sharpay let out a muffled gasp and clutched her chest tightly, carefully huddling her body together so Troy wouldn't see. She took deep breaths and lowered her head, her hand tightening around her heart. Troy placed his hand on her back, kneeling down to see her face. Gabriella was peering anxiously from the kitchen.

"Sharpay," he said again. Sharpay suddenly let out a gasp and buckled her head up. She smiled brightly at a slightly bewildered Troy.

"Yes?" she said innocently, rubbing her chest casually. Troy cocked an eyebrow. "Somethin' wrong?" She grinned again. Troy raised his eyebrows and blinked his eyes a few times, trying to figure out if what he just saw was real or not. He stood up, still confused, and decided he just imagined it.

"Nothing," he muttered sheepishly. Sharpay continued to look at him, waiting for him to say something else, but he instead excused himself and began moving the luggage slowly upstairs, one by one. Gabriella went back to work in the kitchen.

Sharpay glanced around and made sure that neither Troy nor Gabriella could see what she was doing. Still rubbing her chest gently, she let out a sigh of relief.

Thank heaven it was a false alarm.

She fondled through her handbag and pulled out a container of pills and quickly pocketed them. She casually stood up and walked over to the corridor, over to what looked like the bathroom. She stepped inside and shut the door.

Pain erupted in her chest again. Sharpay slammed her back against the door, her hand again flying to her chest. She tried hard to restrain herself and clenched her teeth, not allowing any sort of noise to escape from her mouth. Quickly, she poured out a few pills and hurled them into her mouth, swallowing them as fast as she could. Sharpay collapsed onto her knees against the door as her eyes squeezed shut and she prayed for the effects to act fast.

A cool yet eerie sensation flushed through her body, neutralizing the fiery pain in her heart. Sharpay's breathing eventually evened out, but again the attack caused a toll on her body, leaving her exhausted. It didn't matter. She was used to it by now.

Sharpay struggled to sit up. She placed her hand on the floor and pushed herself off, pocketing the pills safely in her pocket. She sighed and straightened up, wiping away any traces of sweat or tears from her face. She glanced at the clock.

4:28 pm.

She smiled to herself a little; a little spark of hope raising up inside her. Sharpay stood up and reached into her pocket for her phone as well as a scrap piece of paper. She flattened it out against her knee so she can clearly see the words written in smudged handwriting.

_54 Perkins Road, Green Valley  
555 342 775_

Her eyes scanned over the paper several times before she felt her other hand shift the phone in its grip. When she finally took her eyes off the number on the sheet, she emitted a frustrated sigh when she realized her phone was low on batteries.

* * *

Meanwhile, Troy had managed to bring all of the suitcases upstairs. He puffed and collapsed onto the bed, worn out completely. He picked up one of the lighter bags and was about to place it on the side table, but his fatigue caused him to be a little clumsy. The bag slipped out of his sweaty hands in mid-air, tumbling over and all of its contents poured onto the floor. Troy groaned. He bent down onto his hands and knees and began gathering all of the junk together into one pile.

Breathmints, dental floss, compact disc, a small comb, lipgloss, mascara, sugar free gum, tissues, hand lotion…

He stumbled across something that seemed peculiar. A container of pills. Troy frowned and picked it up, examining it. There was no label, no writing, nothing. There was no way to tell what the pills inside were made of, it was as if the labels had been ripped off purposely so no one would be able to know.

* * *

Sharpay stuck her head out from the bathroom door again to check the all clear before coming out. She glanced at the kitchen to make sure she was out of sight from Gabriella, and that Troy was still upstairs. Very slowly, she sneaked out and scanned the room for a telephone of any sort.

Her eyes fell on a rather old-fashioned looking one sitting on a small table beside the television. It had the curly wire and everything. It was quite big too, Sharpay had to use both hands to lift it off the table. She practically dragged it back into the bathroom, being careful to not tangle up the wires or knock anything over in her path. She looked over at Gabriella again in case she saw her, but she still had her back to her.

Sharpay closed the door and sighed with relief again. She hugged the prehistoric telephone in her arms. Tugging the wires gently enough to make sure it wouldn't unplug itself, Sharpay went over to the toilet, set down the lid and sat on it. She pulled the scrap paper with the phone number on it and excitedly began dialing it. She pressed the phone to her ear, waiting anxiously as it began to ring.

* * *

Troy came down from the stairs, his hand leading him down the rail as his hasty footsteps galloped on the steps. He immediately looked around for Sharpay, but she wasn't on the sofa anymore. Gabriella stuck her head out from the door as she heard him.

"There you are," she said with a relieved smile. She was wearing a huge pair of oven mitts. Troy returned the smile and gave her a quick kiss.

"Something smells good," he commented, glancing at the oven. Gabriella beamed at him and nodded.

"Wanted to make our guest extra welcome," she said perkily. She turned away to check the roast in the oven. "I could use a little help in here, though." She tilted her head over to him. "Could you take the plates out and make the table?" Troy nodded.

"Where's Sharpay?" he asked. He bent down to the cabinet and piled his arms with a few plates. "Maybe she could help a little." Gabriella cringed her nose at the idea. Not likely.

"I think she's in the bathroom," she told him, shrugging her shoulders. "And besides, she's a guest, and she doesn't have to do any housework on her first day." Troy grinned again and gave her another kiss before he took the plates out to the dining table.

He set them down, but instead of clearing the table, he shifted whatever was there onto the chair where Gabriella wouldn't notice. Troy smirked triumphantly and arranged the napkins for three people, carefully placing Sharpay's a little bit further away from Gabriella's. It was best to take baby steps if there was any chance of establishing a friendship between them, Troy knew only too well.

As he lifted his head back up, his gaze automatically focused ahead. He frowned, noticing something was missing in the image in front of him. There was a strange large gap beside the television where the phone was supposed to be. Approaching it cautiously, he saw that the line was still attached, and it was leading somewhere.

No even thinking twice, Troy followed it. The line remained loose, clearly whoever took it wanted to make sure they wouldn't be cut off accidentally anytime soon. It lead towards the bathroom, where the door was sealed shut and locked. Troy knew something was up, and he knew Sharpay wasn't doing what a person who normally do in a bathroom. He leaned in close to the door, hearing Sharpay's voice. It was very quiet, almost a whisper.

"Is she there right now?" she muttered hopefully. "Can I please speak to her?" Troy leaned closer, trying to hear what was going on. Sharpay stayed quiet for a long time as the person on the other line explained something.

"Oh?" he heard Sharpay whispered. A long pause. Her voice seemed to sadden a little. "Oh…" She laughed softly, but that didn't hide her disappointment well enough. "Is it… is it really not a good time? Because I was hoping I could visit her sometime this week, and—" Another pause. "Oh." She chuckled again, and Troy could tell she was shaking her head. "No, it's alright. I understand, don't worry about it. I'll… I'll just call again later. Thank you." Troy heard a click as Sharpay placed the receiver back down.

There was another silence for a few seconds, until from inside the bathroom came the gentle sound of muffled sobbing.


	3. Name of The Game

**I'll go back and correct any mistakes later.**

* * *

Gabriella sat alone on her bed as she gazed down at the book in her hands through her elegant reading glasses, trying as hard as she could to ignore the irritatingly loud pitter-pattering of the spring shower outside and the booming of thunder and lightning. Ironically, she was wearing her sleeveless silk nightdress, the thin blanket pulled up simply over her lap as a cushioning for her book, by no means needed for warmth. The humid air trickled at her skin, small beads of sweat resisting from forming at her hairline. Gabriella huffed and glared at the open window beside the table lamp beside her, the rain pounding at the windowsill. With a violent swing of her hand, the window flew shut and the room silence. She accordingly went back to her book.

10pm, whereas usually Gabriella and Troy would have a glass of wine together outside in the beautiful Spring night, the date was cancelled due to the weary weather. Also, for that matter, now that they had a guest sleeping in the next room, the whole week had basically been about helping her settle in, as well as attempts at friendly conversations to reduce tension between the two women. From what Gabriella had to go through for that very first day, she was exhausted from making a good impression in order to win over Sharpay. She honestly didn't know if being this way was the very reason Sharpay continued to be annoyed at her, when she was so warm towards Troy, who in Gabriella's opinion didn't do anything at all.

Oh, well. Tomorrow would be another day to try.

A pillow suddenly came flying into Gabriella's face and knocked her glasses off, giving her a shock. She heard the sound of Troy's laugh and something heavy leaping onto the bed, causing everything to bounce around and shift out of place. Gabriella picked up her glasses and glared at Troy beside her.

"Don't jump on the bed, Troy," she said sternly, her dark brows pointing down as she took care to fold her glasses away. "I'm serious. I don't know if we can afford it if you break this one as well." Troy lowered his head apologetically as he shuffled against his pillow.

"I know, I know," he mumbled nonchalantly, pulling up the blanket over his chest as he laid back leisurely. He pulled a little at his blue pajamas. He sighed contently. "Ironic, isn't it? That we're still reasonably poor?" Gabriella scoffed and playfully hit him with her pillow.

Gabriella and Troy were both intelligent, well-privileged people who were both destined to be successful, yet after only 5 years out of high school, even with successful jobs, they were unexpectedly poorer than they had imagined. It seemed that for the sake of spending time together, they had sacrificed the path of workaholism for the prosphet of marriage and family later on. It was a long way to go, this path, and money and fortune had to take a few years to come to them.

This was in contrast to the Evans twins, who were raised by rich parents and had the opportunity to leave home to study with all the money to spare waiting for them when they came back along with the certainty of never really having to go to work ever. Sharpay, especially, since she was the daughter and promptly wouldn't need to worry about learning the business to take over. For Troy, Sharpay had always been his safety net after striking a friendship through going to the same college for a year together before she was shipped off to Paris. Whenever he was in a crisis, an almighty Evans only needed to make a phonecall for him to be off the hook. Troy was truly thankful for this and treasured her as his close friend, and therefore never took advantage of her resources, making him the one and only person Sharpay trusted.

Unfortunately, his partner was the last person Sharpay would ever warm up to. Gabriella had been her number one rival in high school with her angelic voice and a face to match, taking the limelight away from her numerous times, and numerous times causing intense humiliation, perhaps without even Gabriella herself realizing. But of course to Sharpay, that wasn't the point. The point was Gabriella existed, like an ulcer inside her mouth. Gabriella had become terrified of Sharpay, because whatever way you look at it, Sharpay hated her and she was making it clear. Whether or not she was just having fun at Gabriella's expense as revenge, neither Troy or Gabriella knew, and it was best to leave it at that.

"Did Sharpay go to bed already?" Gabriella asked, placing her book on the side table. Troy nodded, glancing sideways at her.

"She looked really tired today," he told her. Gabriella nodded grimly in agreement.

Strange enough that day, Sharpay had woken at the crack of dawn and disappeared from the house completely, only returning an hour earlier looking as if she had come back from war, having walked a hundred miles, her eyes half-opened, swollen from exhaustion and dragged down by her dark eyebags. She had said nothing as she came into the house as Gabriella and Troy were cleaning up from a late dinner, waiting for her. Sharpay instead collapsed on the sofa and sighed wearily over and over again until Troy suggested she go to bed. When he had innocently asked her where she had gone to, Sharpay replied with supressed frustration: "Just out." She would then go to her room and close the door, the whole process repeating itself every day.

Though respecting her privacy, too many peculiar things began to happen for Troy and Gabriella to forget their curiosity.

Gabriella sat back and crossed her arms, cocking an eyebrow as she stared at the bedsheets in front of her.

"It's weird, isn't it?" she said, glancing over at Troy. "She's been in Paris for more than 5 years, but she doesn't talk about it at all."

It was true. Even more, Troy was curious as to why not only would she not even unconsciously mention anything about her life in Paris, but she didn't have any photographs or even souveniors. In fact, she hadn't talked about anything at all about her life, not about her friends or even her family. The only thing they knew was from Sharpay's mouth, that her parents had relocated and that Ryan was staying in Paris.

But she had hesitated too much for her words to be completely believable. Troy touched his chin thoughtfully and frowned. Perhaps her sudden return to Alburquerque was due to some fallout with her family? Or was it something else?

Roaming through his thoughts, something at the back of his mind suddenly clicked. He sat up.

"You know how she's been going out somewhere, and not telling us where?"

Gabriella nodded.

"The other day when I was driving to work I saw her walking around Perkins Road."

"Perkins Road?" Gabriella repeated incredulously, sitting up as well with a look of astonishment. "Perkins Road in Green Valley? What was she doing there?"

Troy worked for a business company that was around an hour's drive away from home. Whenever he drove to work, he would always pass a small entrance in the Green Valley district to a village-structured roadside that was more like a tiny town that a road. During the usual 5 o'clock traffic jam, Troy would drift his gaze to catch a glimpse of what went on inside, usually an alternation for patience to shouting. That day, he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him, but he could have sworn he saw Sharpay, with her golden hair glistening in the sun, walking in and out of somewhere, visible for a mere second. Now that he thought about it, he could still distinguish the figure wearing the exact same blue t-shirt that Sharpay came back wearing. The next day, after Sharpay went out again, he again kept his eyes open and saw her again at the same spot.

It was too much of a coincidence.

However, what was most strange was that no live-in houses were built inside Perkins Road, so she couldn't have been visiting any of her friends. The only reason anyone walked around in Perkins Road was to buy things to supply their business, which could only be inside the road itself. Troy was pretty certain Sharpay wasn't one to have a business inside Perkins Road, going and returning from her outings barehanded, but at the same time, it was more rational that she was visiting someone.

"She had some flowers with her," he said, looking at Gabriella, her expression more puzzled than ever. "She must be visiting someone ever since she came back."

"But why would she be in Perkins Road?" Gabriella said, leaning back and thinking, preening her brown hair as her forehead screwed up into a frown. She shook her head. "It takes that long to go past it by car, and no bus stops or train stations are near that area." An image of Sharpay climbing steadily up a steep hill in her stilletos appeared in Gabriella's mind. Her eyes widened and she clapsed the blanket in her hands, turning to Troy, looking both excited and stunned at the same time. "Do you think she's been walking to Perkins Road every day to see someone?" Troy couldn't answer, lost in his own thoughts.

A lover, maybe? It seemed to make sense, how love could blind a person to do strange things, but Sharpay didn't really seem like the type to walk two hours to visit someone at their business, and doing it in secret as well. Troy couldn't seem to add it up, knowing if it was for romantic love, Sharpay wouldn't look so emotionally drained whenever she came home.

A crash of thunder and a flash of ligtning seared through the sky outside, downing on the rich, humid air surrounding the small town. Some windows open for air to come in, some windows closed to keep the rain out, it seemed the more it rained, the more silent the world became, pulling everyone into their own little universe, they're minds wondering away from the musty gloom. The more it rained, the more moist entered the room, and the more their brains worked to investigate a matter, the more they breathed in the heavy air.

The tedious atmosphere heaved down on the couple, and Gabriella automatically turned off her bedside lamp. Brushing her hair to one side and plaiting it briefly over one of her shoulders, Gabriella readied herself to go to sleep, even though her mind remained alert through the serious discussion. She laid down next to Troy, but the two of them continued to stare ominously at the white ceiling in the dark. Gabriella snuggled down on her spot, a few inches away from Troy, barriered by the aura of their thoughts. She furrowed her dark eyebrows and tapped Troy's shoulder, remembering something.

"The other day, I asked if she wanted to call Ryan and she told me no," Gabriella muttered under her breath. Her voice was low and cautious, as if through the darkness her words would flow into Sharpay's room if she was any louder. "I know one thing for sure, and that I haven't seen her use her phone since she came back." Gabriella turned her head past her shoulder towards Troy, looking concerned. "I don't think she's contacted Paris at all."

So did she have a fight with Ryan, and that was why she suddenly came back? But Troy already knew she was using the home phone to call someone, and to the extent of secretly taking it into the bathroom, there was definitely something Sharpay didn't want them to know. For the past week, she had made about three calls, twice where Troy had eavesdropped on her.

He didn't know why he did it, he wasn't a nosey person. But considering her actions, Troy felt in his duty that he needed to follow her in case it was something very serious and she would need his support. He had done it twice thinking the same thoughts, he didn't know why. It was as if something in his brain purposely made him naively curious.

On listening in on those barely audible, 2 minute long, one-sided conversations, the only thing he seemed to be able to interpret from the skeptic events was that she was probably visiting a woman, name and identity still unknown, and that Sharpay always called to ask when was a good time to visit her. One call was made just after she came to the house, and Troy already knew it was a heartbreaking matter, proof from her hidden tears that echoed softly off the bathroom walls.

There seemed to be far too many different situations, all of which Sharpay kept to herself.

Troy heard Gabriella sigh and toss to face the opposite wall on the bed, no doubt giving up from sleepiness. The perfume of her hair gushed through Troy's nostrils as she flicked her half-made plait onto the other side of her shoulder as she turned her head away from him, sleeping on her back with her hand resting on her silk dress.

After a moment or two, the rain grew heavier and thundered against the ground outside, bringing Troy's head out of the clouds. Blinking a few times at the abrupt moist on his skin, he realized he had been thinking so hard about Sharpay, that he had even forgotten it was raining. Gabriella started snoring softly, her blanket rising and falling with her chest, sleeping peacefully.

Troy sighed to himself; he was thinking too much about this. He slipped down deeper beneath the sheets and adjusted his pillow, closing his eyes and relaxing his entire body, ready to fall asleep.

But he didn't.

He wondered about many things he had kept from his girlfriend, things he had discovered about Sharpay. Maybe it was slightly unreasonable, but he didn't want to cause Gabriella worry until he was certain what it was. He thought about the phone calls in the bathroom. From experience, Troy had learnt that it was better to understand the entire truth rather than judging and summing up what he knew, which wasn't much. He knew if he told Gabriella too much, she would try to approach Sharpay about it, and consequently it would make her shut them out even more.

Troy thought about the pills he found in Sharpay's bag the other day, how they weren't labelled at all, not knowing if they were prescriptions from a doctor for something or if it was something dangerous. Troy didn't dare take anything, knowing Sharpay would know he was snooping around her things, and that would push him away. Troy rested his head on his arm as he gazed at the wall, wondering what Sharpay was thinking right at that moment.

So many questions that he knew wouldn't be answered through thoughts and assumptions.

* * *

Sharpay sat on her readymade bed, the sheets still completely intact from that morning, not a single wrinkle or fold or any evidence that she had moved from her spot. Her body was rigid, gleaming dully under the cheap yellow lamp beside her.

_CRASH._

The sound of thunder boomed onto the closed window, so hard that it almost felt like within the few microseconds, droplets of rain pushed their way through into the room.

Sharpay had not changed out of her clothes or even had the chance to dry her hair from walking through the rain to get home that day. Usually she would make a big deal of the room, and would insist on changing her outfit to get rid of the "musty" smell the room rubbed off on her. But today after being confronted by Troy and forced to go to her room for some rest, Sharpay remained mournful in her lonely room, hugging her pillow tightly in one arm while the other rested on top of it, holding up her cell phone that she had so desperately avoided answering. Her brown eyes bored across the small screen as her thumb swiftly pressed a few times to reveal her missed calls and one voice message. Her thumb rested on top of 'Open' button, a feeling of sadness and guilt washing through her like the Spring shower as she read and reread the sender's name.

Ryan Evans.

With a shaking hand, she raised the phone to her ear and pressed down on the button.

At once, Ryan's bright, cheerful voice came through, unusually loud with lots of noise in the background with the screeching of seagulls, people talking nautical language, as well as the crashing of waves. Ryan let out a boyish laugh.

_"Sharpay, pick up!!_" he called out. Sharpay heard a girl's voice scold him in French. _"Hey, Sharpay!!_" Ryan laughed again. _"Why aren't you picking up your phone when I'm actually calling you!! You're not still mad at me for not calling, are you? Well, you shouldn't be! I have alot to tell you. Michelle and I just bought a yacht, and we're thinking of taking it out tomorrow for a spin. Right now, we're in Madrid down by the harbor, and next week I'm taking Michelle to see Rome._" The French girl sounded like she was stifling an excited laugh. _"I know, Shar, you want to yell at me for throwing away money on a piece of wood, right? Well, we bought it as a celebration gift, actually._" Sharpay could hear the happiness that Ryan was trying to control in his voice, making her smile. _"Guess what, sis? We're getting married!! I just bought her a ring, and we want to have a Spring wedding back in Paris with you. I could tell you more, but it seems a waste that you'll hear it from a message. Anyway, I was thinking you could help us out a little with the wedding when we come back next month. Michelle says she wants to give you the title of maid of honor, but the truth is we're both clueless!! Call me back as soon as you get this and please tell me you'll help us, or else Michelle will kill me._" Ryan chuckled heartily. Michelle muttered something to him, which he replied in French that Sharpay couldn't make out. She heard both of them laugh again. _"Call me right away, Shar. Don't let me down!!"_

The message ended and the dial tone slammed painfully against Sharpay's eardrums. She groaned and held the phone out in front of her instead after hanging up, rubbing her ear.

She stared again at the screen for a long moment, her finger tempted to press the button to reply to Ryan's call. She stared at it for a very long time.

She loved Ryan, and as any sibling would do, of course they would immediately reply back after being asked to help with their wedding. Sharpay should be feeling proud and happy for Ryan. He had met Michelle in Paris and the two had fallen in love, both sharing the same passion for the sea and travel. Sharpay should call back and give them her blessing and agree to helping to something that was her role to do. After watching her brother grow up with her, he could now enter into a new blissful life he deserved so much with a woman he was truly in love with. Sharpay should call back straight away and fulfill his wish and secure him a happy ending with a beaming smile on her face.

She closed the phone with a snap.

A heavy weight crashed down on top of Sharpay's shoulders, a grave expression on her face. She set the phone aside on the bed, staring guiltily at the ground in front of her feet.

But she wasn't going to answer his call. She was going to let him down.


End file.
